Beginning of the Force
by Okami-Kawarimono
Summary: The new war brings back memories and emotions long since buried and Yoda reflects on his apprenticeship and Knighting, along with his beloved Master, rated M to be safe


Beginning of the Force

Summary: The new war brings back memories and emotions long since buried and Yoda reflects on his apprenticeship and Knighting, along with his beloved Master.

OC: Rikanna

Book 1: Yoda

AN: Some Chapter will be rather brutal and will be sent to Adult Fanfiction where you can read them there, sorry for those who can't get on to the site to read them, but I can't have them here, the story can be read without these scenes and I will try to have something that can be read for younger readers, but if you want the full story you will have to get them there. Sorry!

* * *

Alone, that's how he felt in that one moment, alone and in pain.

A goblin like creature sat upon a rock, looking down at the hilt of his saber before he turned it on, the green light highlighting his face and robes. The elder sighed as he looked at the blade before he turned it off and then flicked it back on. He remembered when he saber had been blue, bright and beautiful like the sky, but after_ she_ died he had changed the color.

"I'm a hypocrite," The creature said and his ears drooped down before he gave another sigh.

Yoda flicked saber off and rubbed behind one of his ears before running his hands through his thinned hair. He rubbed at his chest where it was hurting before he looked up at the holographic sky, the room of a thousand fountains quiet and peaceful with everyone gone out to war.

"War," Yoda whispered "Another war I remember, so long it lasted, so many we lost, including _her_," Yoda whispered as he looked down again at his lap. The memories of his childhood had been long since forgotten, but the threat of war had brought them to the forefront of this mind. "Remember you so well I do, your eyes, brown they were and a gold band you wore, always wore, never seen you without it I did." A small, tender smiled crossed Yoda's face, his eyes glassy and saddened, "Gray you were going back then," He chuckled "White as snow you became, tan you use to be, look now Master, as white as you were I am." Yoda made a bitter chuckling sound that came out more like a choked sob.

His Master, even Yoda had to have had a Master and very few people knew about her, when asked about it he brushed it of his shoulder and said he didn't remember her well.

"Remember you well I do," He whisper, "A part of me you took with you, I piece of me always broken and lost it will be, had it when first saw you I did, regal you were, seated at the head of the council, and so small I was, with robes far too big!"

* * *

"Your name," A soft voice purred, a sound that was almost unnatural, as if the voice was not supposed to speak to begin with. Her eyes were dark and deep like melted chocolate and looked down her muzzle, smiling at the boy who stood before them. The boy, more like a goblin, shifted and his claws scraped against the floor as he tried to get the oversized shirt to stay on his shoulders.

"Yoda," He said carefully, his voice rough and hard on the ears but the Master chuckled and Yoda looked up at her.

She was lovely, tall and powerful looking, a Cathar, or a branch off from the species. Her fur was a soft tan color with a mane that was just a shade darker, white beginning to show around her eyes and muzzle. She had a very wild looking face with her wide muzzle and powerful maw with a deep black nose in the center of it all. She wore very little, only a pair of shorts with a loin cloth that reached the floor with a t-shirt with her robe over it all but Yoda could make out the sleek body under them. Her hind quarters were large and powerful, her upper body and shoulders worked solidly. She was a hunter, sleek, powerful and beautiful. Yoda's eyes were caught by a glimmer of gold and he followed it, a sleek tail moved with a gold cuff upon it before a large tuft of fur whispped at the end.

"A strange name for a strange creature," the feline spoke, her paws folding in front of her nose, her eyes boring in to his own, brown against gold and Yoda fought the blush the crept up against his face.

"Strange I am not," He muttered and looked at his feet, pouting as laughter filled the room and Yoda's face coloured jade.

Rikanna, the master's name, smiled and looked down at the child again. He was the color of baby leaves with eyes the shade of her tail cuff. He had claws upon his little hands, oversized for his thin wrists and talons adorned his toes, hidden by his pants. His head was covered in rough black hair, hey like but then again he was filthy. Rikanna would need to speak with someone about bathing younglings before presenting them to the council. The poor boy was tiny, and not just in height, he may have only been a foot tall but she could see the ribs showing through the green hide when his shirt slipped down his neck, showing off heaving chest.

"Strange, no, but sick perhaps, are you alright child?" Rikanna turned to the voice, a Mon Cal man, his skin a salmon pink with a mask marking across his eyes.

"Fine I am," He insisted and the Mon Cal opened his mouth.

"Master Kahden will escort you to the medical wing anyways," Rikanna spoke and the Mon Cal looked over at her and she smiled softly. Yoda gave a small nod as he peeked back up at the council, his eyes lingering on the feline woman, a soft smile playing at her lips, "When you are ready, we will call you back."

"Thank you Mathtah," Yoda spoke and blushed softly at his lisp, but only soft chuckling and light cooing was made as Kahden escorted him out.

"What are you thinking Master?" Another council member asked, older than she and she turned to him with a grin on her face. "Rikanna…" His voice held an older tone she had long since forgotten, a berating sound that she remembered as a child. The feline laughed and the human at her side chuckled as he stood his cane keeping him as tall as ever, "You be careful my old Padawan."

"Since when am I ever the opposite, my Master?" She asked, her ears twitched up and her tail flicked, all in good humour and the teasing voice nothing but what it was. The man laughed before he left, the soft tapping of his cane vanishing down the hall. Rikanna stayed a few moments more as the council filed out, her legs crossed and her paws steepled in front of her face before she closed her eyes.

"Force, what have you sent me?" She asked the empty room and the Force, always her gentle friend and guiding hand, swirled about her like a soft breeze before falling silent once more.

* * *

Yoda had to scurry to keep up with the Mon Cal, his little legs working almost five times harder to keep himself in eye shot of the man. The Jedi was tall, for a Mon Cal, and held himself upright and proud, the mask marking about his eyes was a rare sight to see and the tone of his skin was bright and healthy. Yoda was observant though and he could see the slight limp in the man's step and the scar he had hidden under the collar of his shirt.

"Mathtah?" Yoda piped up and grabbed the man's robe and gave a slight tug as they continued to walk.

"Yes, youngling?" Kahden asked and Yoda tilted his head and blinked up at him. Kahden chuckled as he knelt down and offered the child his hand and Yoda looked at it, one of his fingers was cut at the knuckle, all these small wounds telling Yoda a story. "Come, I'll carry you on my shoulders."

Yoda's ears shot right up and a smile spread across his face as Kahden took the child's hand in his own and pulled him up on to his shoulders. Yoda giggled and clapped his hands in glee, forgetting the questions he wanted to ask.

"Very tall you are Mathtah," Yoda said and Kahden chuckled softly, "See everything from up here you do."

"Do I, tell me, what do YOU see from up there?" Kahden asked.

"Everything!" Yoda laughed and Kahden joined in on the boy's mirth as they came down to the medical bay where Kahden allowed the child to slide down his arm and roll on to the medical bed with a laugh.

"Stay there, youngling, and I'll get a doctor to look you over," Kahden said and Yoda nodded, pulling his shirt back up his shoulders as he stood there on the bed and looked about the room. The medical room was large and open, but very dull and smelt of cleaning chemicals and bacta. There was very little in the room that was interesting, save for another Jedi laying alone on the bed and a couple of children being treated for burns.

"Here we are," Kahden appeared again with a medical droid in toe, "Now, when all is done the doctor will call for Rikanna to come and pick you up, alright?" Yoda nodded and Kahden patted him on the head before he left.

"Alright youngling, let's see what we can do for you," The droid closed the curtains around the bed and Kahden stepped out of the medical bay and turned to see Rikanna leaning against the wall.

"So?" Rikanna asked as Kahden strode down the hall, the feline falling in step behind him.

"He is strong in the Force," Kahden said "obedient it seems and soft in heart, but very observant, I caught him watching me." Kahden's hand came up to his shoulder and touched the scar that lay there, and the memory of how it was received danced in his eyes. Rikanna stepped forwards and placed a paw on his hand and the man gave a sigh and shook his head, "Bad memories, that's all it is."

"Yes, my friend, bad memories," Rikanna reassured him and then smiled before she pounced on the man's back. Kahden gave a yelp and laughed, spinning about with the feline clutched to him, the moment of childish glee ridding them of the serious mood. Their laugher sounded through the hall as Rikanna pushed off from her friend and draped an arm around his shoulders and Kahden's own arm circling around her waist as they walked down the hall. "I have saber classes with the younglings today, what of you?"

"I rather have the younglings, I have group today," Kahden sighed, he was never one for small children, the little ones made him nervous, all the crying and nappies and constant attention. Rikanna smiled and flicked her tail against the back of her friend's head.

"I'll switch you," She said and Kahden looked at her,

"Would you really? I would own you," Kahden said, he was much better with the older children, allowed him to teach something, he was a teacher, not a babysitter.

"You would owe me, say, dinner at the diner, me and Gale, on you," Rikanna said with a grin and Kahden huffed an crossed his arms,

"You trickster," He said and turned his gaze on her again, "Gale is coming home?"

"Yes, she'll be returning here this evening, if all goes well," Rikanna smiled, "Well, I have children to look after and you have younglings to train, I'll see you at lunch my friend," Rikanna said before she bounded off, dropping on all fours as she rushed down the hall. Kahden chuckled and shook his head,

"You never change," He said and changed direction, heading for the class room where the younglings waited.

* * *

Yoda sighed as he watched the doctor move about, test after test and a few more tests later Yoda was left alone to watch the doctor check the results over.

"Well, besides some malnutrition and a mild infection in the lungs, you're fine," The doctor said and handed Yoda a small inhaler, "Take that twice a day for the next week, once in the morning when you get up and again before bed, that should clear up the infection."

"Thank you," Yoda said with a smile as he pocketed the inhaler.

"I'll call up Rikanna…oh!" The Doctor's metallic laughter filled the room and Yoda turned to see what was so funny and fell in to peels of giggles. Standing in the doorway, on all fours, was Rikanna, covered in children. Three youngsters were on her back, two at her shoulders and two at her flank and one was on her tail, the little hand grasping the long limb, all the children under the age of five.

"I'm feeling rather heavy doc, can you prescribe me something?" Rikanna asked and the children began laughing. Rikanna bowed her head and laughed herself, "What did I get myself in too?"

"A mountain of children I'd say," A Jedi healer said and began to untangle little fingers from Rikanna's fur and set each child aside, "I thought this was Kahden's group."

"It is, but he rather work with my group so we switched for the day," Rikanna said as the last child was set aside and she shook herself off and sat back on her haunches, tail curling about her paws. The younglings took this as a good sign and began to crowd around her again, grabbing on to her legs and paws, one sitting himself right at her chest and a clever little Twi'lek climbed up on to her back.

"Now children, off her," The healer said and Rikanna waved the healer away,

"I'm quite able to look after children, in fact I came here to add one more to the group, is the little one ready to go?" Rikanna said and Yoda peeked out from behind the curtain and when the doctor nodded he jumped off the bed and rushed over to the group and joined the other children in their cuddling. Rikanna's fur was soft under his fingers and a deep sound rumbled from her chest, a purring that seemed unending as the kids pet, tugged and combed her fur.

"Alright, away with you lot then," The healer scolded and Rikanna pouted and the children all gave a sound of protest before the feline stood on her hind legs, dislodging a couple of children from her arms and legs as she went.

"Alright kids, back to the play room," Rikanna said and the children all made a fuss and pouted, "None of that, if you want to be Jedi you have to learn to do as you're told."

"Yes Master," The children chimed and began to line up and took one another's hands. Yoda tilted his head and jumped when the little Twi'lek had taken his hand and smiled. Yoda looked up at Rikanna who just smiled down at him before offering him her tail, which he took readily.

"A tail of children just for Rikanna," The healer chuckled and Rikanna turned and headed off, her little tail of children following along behind her and the healer chuckled when Rikanna started a silly little song, the kids jumping in right after her. "You'll never change."

* * *

Once the younglings were back in their rooms and curled up for their naps, Rikanna and Yoda wandered the halls in silence, the small creature's hand still clutching the feline's tail, both in their own thoughts. Yoda looked at the woman again, observing her like he had Kahden. Her ears at bits taken out of them and her hind paws were marked, as if someone took a blade across her feet. She also walked with a slight limp, favouring her right leg to her left and he could see it in her eyes, a pain, a wound that festered in her heart, one that needed healing but would not heal.

"What do you see Youngling," Yoda nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the soft drawl of the feline's voice and he turned his gaze up to her, but not once did she turn her eyes down to him.

"Pain," He said softly and Rikanna paused in her movements before she walked on and Yoda felt ashamed for what he had done. He hadn't meant to hurt the feline more, honestly, "Sorry I am, Mathtah, if did something wrong I did."

"No," Rikanna said smoothly, "You just see beyond what your eyes tell you," She turned her gaze down at him and he smiled softly, "You may become a Jedi yet." Yoda's ears perked up again and there was that endearing smile that spread over his face, causing wrinkled around his eyes and nose, making him look like an old man instead of a little boy, "But first, a bath!"

"No! A bath I need not!" Yoda complained and Rikanna laughed brightly before leading the child down to the bath house, yes, things never seem to change.

* * *

AN: YAY! I'm excited for this Story, Rikanna is one of my most worked on, most complicated most loved OCs ever and she has been tweaked, played with and worked with until she kinda turned in to something that can be written about. This is Book 1 of a three book series. Enjoy and PLEASE! PLEASE! On my knees begging you people, Please Review!

Love, Rikanna! Muah!


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